


Father and Son

by Pleasebrushyourteeth



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-01 03:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11477775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleasebrushyourteeth/pseuds/Pleasebrushyourteeth
Summary: A series of drabbles about a broken android and his adopted son trying to survive the ruined future. AU.





	1. evil

"You're not evil, you know."

Buddy turned his attention from carving the meager scrap of rat carcass to Silver, who was sitting cross-legged staring at the ground.

"What was that?" Buddy asked softly.

"I said you're not evil," Silver repeated.

Buddy frowned before beginning again

"Is this about what happened this morning?"

"Yeah," the white hedgehog snapped. "That lady was wrong."

"... You do realize why she called me that, though?"

"...No..."

Buddy shifted his legs, the gears in his joints squeaking as he did so.

"Well, I'm a robot, right?"

"Right," Silver agreed. 

"Well..." Buddy paused, then began again. "My appearance... is based on someone else..."

"Who?" Silver immediately asked.

Buddy closed his eyes to temporarily relieve the circuits in his eyes from the light of the moon. 

"...His name was Shadow. He was actually made in a lab, too..."

"So he was a robot?" Silver interjected.

"No, he was... different. He was organic, but... artificial at the same time."

"That's weird," Silver remarked.

"Yeah, weird is probably the best word for him, to be honest," Buddy continued. "People say - and this is only a rumor, so don't be spreading it around - but people say he's the reason why the world is why it's like."

"Oh," Silver whispered, looking down as he did so. "So he's the reason the world is all destroyed?"  
"It's just a rumor, though," Buddy quickly corrected. "I probably shouldn't have told you that, but you were gonna hear it eventually, what with how famous he was."

"So... that lady in the city, she thought you were Shadow? And Shadow is evil?" Silver questioning, looking back up.

"... Yes and no."

There was some silence for a few moments, then the small hedgehog started again.

"Well, that's not fair. Just because you look like someone doesn't mean you're like them. You're your own person, and you're the kindest, nicest awesomest person I've ever met. So that lady was still wrong."

With that, Silver took the rat flesh into his hands and began stuffing pieces of it into his mouth, a repulsed look on his face. Buddy, meanwhile, was just happy that someone in this godforsaken world saw him as a person.


	2. soap

It had been one of those days, Buddy thought as he followed Silver deeper into the ruins that they would call home for the night. To be honest, given the state of the world, all of their days could be described adequately  as "one of those days," but today had been especially bad. Food rations in the city were becoming a thing of the past, and even rats and worms were harder to find. In desperation, some bandits had tried to kidnap the young hedgehog under his care, but fortunately he and Silver had been able to escape to the outskirts of town.

Buddy did not wish to think what would've happened to Silver had they failed.

"Hey, Buddy!" Silver's voice suddenly interrupted the disturbing images that Buddy's circuitry kept attacking the bot with. "How about in here?"

Buddy looked around. The room was mostly empty, save for some boxes in the corner. More importantly, however, the room's walls seemed to be largely intact, save for a medium-sized hole in the middle. Buddy approached its edge and peered down: they were pretty far up, and one mistake might result in either of their deaths. Well, Silver's death, at least. Robots aren't alive, so they can't die. Robots don't have souls, after all...

"Buddy!" Silver interrupted again. "Look at all this neat stuff!"

Buddy found Silver in the corner, rooting through the boxes.

"What is it, kid?" Buddy inquired.

"Lotsa stuff!" Silver replied. "Towels, clothes, water bottles... and these weird pink boxes!"

The white hedgehog held up one of said boxes, and Buddy instantly realized what it was.

"Oh, it's soap!" Buddy chirped.

"Soap?" Silver puzzled, tilting his head to the left. "What's that?"

"It's something you use to clean things," Buddy answered, walking up to Silver and taking the small box from him. 

"You can use this box to clean yourself?" Silver questioned.

"No, no," Buddy clarified. "You open the box..."  
Buddy did so, and out came an untouched bar of  generic brand soap.

"...and that's the soap."

"Oh!" Silver marveled, always ready to learn about new things. "And then what?"

"Give me your hand," Buddy requested. 

Silver did so, and Buddy used his free hand to reach for one of the water bottles. After removing the bottle's cap, the android poured a bit on Silver's gloved hand, then rubbed the soap bar on the same area.

"See?" Buddy finished and returned Silver's hand to him. Silver in turn took a moment to look at his glove, sniffing it every now and then.

"So this is what clean looks like?" Silver finally whispered.

"Yes," Buddy replied with a melancholy smile. "Things are meant to be clean."

"But they're not anymore, are they, Buddy?"

Buddy's smile vanished, and he sighed aloud.

"No, Silver, no, they're not."


End file.
